Propeller assembly for a boat
AssigneeMasterCraft Boat Company, LLC
InventorsMichael J. Uggeri, Richard Lee Best
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A boat and a propeller assembly for a boat. The propeller assembly includes a propeller and a thrust bearing, and the thrust bearing is made of a harder material than the propeller. The boat may also include a hull, a drive shaft, and a motor. The motor may be positioned within the hull and configured to rotate the drive shaft. The drive shaft may extend through a hull bottom of the hull and the propeller assembly may be positioned forward of a transom of the hull and beneath the hull bottom. The propeller may include a central hub having a hole capable of having the drive shaft inserted therethrough. The thrust bearing may be located in the hole of the central hub and secured to the propeller such that the thrust bearing and the propeller form a unified assembly.
Claims20
A boat comprising:
- a hull including a transom and a hull bottom;
- a drive shaft extending through the hull bottom;
- a motor positioned within the hull and configured to rotate the drive shaft;
- and
- a propeller assembly positioned forward of the transom and beneath the hull bottom, the propeller assembly including:
- a propeller having a central hub and a plurality of blades connected to the central hub, the central hub including a hole into which a propeller end of the drive shaft is inserted;
- and
- a thrust bearing including an outer circumferential surface, the thrust bearing being received within the hole of the central hub such that at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface is located in the hole, the thrust bearing being made of a harder material than the propeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.